OUR DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS ARE SO INTELLIGENT……………THEY SAY THEY’RE HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES IN MARYLAND AND THEN THEY PASS A BILL MAKING IT LEGAL FOR PEOPLE TO BY PASS LOCAL LIQUOR STORES AND PURCHASE FROM WINERIES IN OTHER STATES???????????

HOW IS THIS HELPING WINE AND LIQUOR STORE OWNERS IN MARYLAND??? NOT TO MENTION, THIS DOESN’T HELP THE LOCAL MARYLAND WINERIES????

As a matter of principle, because I could not ship in wine from out of state, I have refused to buy from within the state. Now, I’ll be more likely to purchase wine from anywhere (including MD wineries) and ship it to my UPS box (another business that profits from the exchange).

As brick-and-mortar gives way to direct shipping, Maryland wineries need to adapt to that change and invest in the infrastructure to serve both a local and a global market. If they’re unwilling to adapt to the times, I’m equally unwilling to subsidize their existence with anti-competitive trade laws. If they’re confident in their product, they shouldn’t be intimidated with the costly process of safely shipping wine, as that will increase the price for those “importing” wine from out of state. They only need to worry if they are charging too much for inferior product.

If you have a credit card and an internet connection, you have access to the global marketplace. Ignoring online shopping won’t make the problem go away. It makes it worse.